


charisma check

by CommanderNici



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 02:50:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18421290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CommanderNici/pseuds/CommanderNici
Summary: Victoria is upset about the events before school play, Steph listens.





	charisma check

**Author's Note:**

> For Dan, because without him this fic wouldn't even exist.

It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair. She should have gotten the role. The lead of the school play, it would have been great. It would have made her parents proud. And wasn't that what mattered the most to Victoria? In retrospect Rachel was the better choice, you don't get to be the understudy for being the best choice, you get to be it because you are the second best. She thought it was her chance when Rachel was kicked out of the play, but then that punk had to talk her out of it. But maybe Chloe was right, and it would have been a disaster. But a defeat is a defeat. Victoria could feel tears run down her face - again. Deep in her thoughts she didn't notice someone walking in to the dressing tent.

“Hey, you okay?” a somewhat familiar voice said.

Victoria felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, it was Steph. She looked tired, but who can blame her, her best friend getting beaten up, the preparations for the play, the whole fire thing, this day was a lot especially for Steph.

“Oh, hey Steph”, Victoria looked down and wiped away her tears “yeah I'm okay.”

“Well, you don't look okay” Steph said and sat down next to Victoria.

“Shouldn't you be with Mikey?” Victoria looked confused.

“I wish but he sent me here and told me to get some rest!” she rolled her eyes. “But I can't rest, not right now so I came here to check if there's something to do and then I ran into you.” Steph shrugged “looks like someone does need help, so tell me what's wrong, well only if you want of course”

“It's confusing and not so important, honestly” Victoria said and turned away.

“Try me,” Steph responded and leaned back on the chair. “I bet I understand”

“Ugh, fine I guess someone to talk to can't be wrong” she crossed her arms “you see, I wanted the lead role, and then Rachel got kicked out and my chance was there but then Chloe came and convinced me it would be better to give the role back to Rachel, and maybe she was right and she saved me from a total embarrassment, have you heard about poor Nathan?” Victoria took a deep breath.”I didn't even learn my lines properly, I never thought I would get the role, heck I don't even like theater that much”

“But if you don't like theater, why are you even here? Wait let me guess…,your parents made you join?” Steph asked with a concerned look on her face.

“How'd you know that?” Victoria looked surprised at Steph.

“Just a feeling” Steph scratched the back of her head, pulled off her beanie and put it down next to her. “Do you even do any of the stuff at Blackwell for yourself?”

“I do like photography, but” Victoria sighed “with my parents putting all that pressure on me it isn't as fun as it used to”

“I understand, they always say: _someone who makes their hobby their job never works a day in their life._ But that's bullshit if you ask me.” Steph said.

“Right?!,” Victoria said and gestured with her hands “I would happy with just working in a cute little boutique and do photography on the side. But No! Victoria Chase has to do something with her life. Best stepping in her parents footsteps, but not before making a name for herself in the art scene of course.” Victoria said and pinched the bride of her nose.

“Wow that's rough. I'm glad my parents go with the _as long as you're happy_ approach” Steph said while yawning “Looks like Mikey was right after all and I really do need some rest” she chuckled.

“You do look tired, I noticed it when you started talking to me” Victoria said and yawned herself.

“I guess we're both tired, look I hate to leave the conversation like that but… you have my number, use it if you need me” Steph said with a warm smile and stood up.

“Thanks for talking and listening it,.. It really helped” Victoria said with a weak smile and also raised from her seat.

“Hey, no problem. good night Victoria” Steph said and pulled Victoria in a hug before leaving the tent and Victoria behind.

Victoria wanted to respond but somehow her mind slowed down for a second and Steph was gone before she could say a word. It was nice having someone listen to her, she noticed a weird feeling in her stomach, maybe she was hungry.

She went to her dorm room, and grabbed a chocolate bar from her stash, her parents would hate to see her like that, eating before bed, but for the moment she didn't care about that. Maybe Steph helped with that. She smiled without noticing and got ready to go to bed.

 

\---

 

Victoria woke up the next morning, not well rested. She had been thinking a lot about her talk with Steph and the hug didn't leave her mind either. It was just a hug why couldn't she stop thinking about it. She was ripped from her thoughts by her phone buzzing. She unlocked her phone to see who it was.

 **STEPH** : Hey :) feeling better?

 **VICTORIA:** yes. Thanks for asking just woke up.

 **STEPH:** Good to hear that you feel better. I already jogged a few times around the football field.

 **VICTORIA** : It's too early for sport, seriously.

 **STEPH:** Don't you photographers have some early bird hour for nice shots?

 **VICTORIA:** blue hour, yes. But it's already too late for that.

 **STEPH:** oh cool, I think I heard about that. Gotta go btw, visiting Mikey. Text you later

Victoria smiled and locked her phone. She wasn't sure why she smiled but a distraction from her usually stressful thoughts was welcome. She thought she could use more distraction and after dressing up she decided to take her camera on a walk.

She left the room and briefly ran into Taylor and Courtney, but since they were busy with their own stuff the interaction ended quick with a hug and a “see you later” before Victoria left the dorm. Right as she walked out she felt the morning sun warm on her skin, just like Steph's hug was the night before. She shook the thought of and took a picture of the sun rays shining through the treetops. She continued her walk, the statue in front of the main building looked great in the morning sun, she wondered why she never noticed it. She paused, why did she not think about hugging her friends so much, why did the hug with Steph still linger on her mind. Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Chloe walking onto the campus. As if she needed that nuisance during this nice morning, or maybe she was exactly who she needed right now. Victoria knew Chloe would help, they might have a mutual disliking for each other but somehow that blue haired punk ended up helping people, even those who'd still push her away, even those she actually disliked, Victoria had heard about Chloe defending Nathan. Maybe she needed it, maybe Chloe was dependent on the feeling of being needed. And maybe it was a little selfish but Victoria would use that. She took a deep breath, gathered her courage and walked up to Chloe.

“Hey, Price. Uhm I think I need your help with something” she said looking a little nervous.

“What do you want, Chase? I unfortunately don't have drugs on me right now and if I had,  I wouldn't give them to you” Chloe looked annoyed and placed her hands in her back pockets.

“Ugh it's not about that, I.. Uhm wanted to ask you how did you figure out you liked Rachel?“ Victoria looked left and right if someone was near.

“JK Rowling told me it was my time to be gay, that's how it happened” Chloe shrugged, trying to suppress a laughing fit.

“No, I'm serious” Victoria tried to not look too desperate.

“You can turn into a dog??” Chloe said loudly finally bursting into laughter.

“Chloe please for real, how'd you know?I think I might feel that way for someone” Victoria tried putting on her most sincere look.

“Holy fuck? Are hitting on me?” Chloe looked shocked

“Gross, noo. I'm really serious. If I wasn't I wouldn't go to you for advice, because I really think you could help me” Victoria crossed her arms.

“Shit, you're actually for real with this, uhm okay. It's like she's like always on my mind .. And when I look at her my heart kinda speeds up and it's like the sun is burning in my chest,, but you know in a nice way not like an actual star is in my chest that would be hella deadly because, you know science! And when I spend time with her it's like everything is okay for a little while, and you know how shit my life is. And when she kisses me, wow, it's like flying a better high than any drug could ever give me.” Chloe smiled brighter and brighter while explaining.

“Wow, that's… Really beautiful. Thank you for explaining, Chloe.” Victoria responded.

“That's just how I feel.” Chloe shrugged “but if you have questions about liking girls why don't you go ask our resident gay, Steph?”

“You were the first I ran into I thought could help” Victoria shrugged and tried to hide feeling exposed, hoping Chloe would fall for her excuse. “thanks again, I think you really helped” Victoria said, smiled and walked away.

 

Did she really feel that way about Steph? Sure the hug made her feel really good, and when they talked the night before she felt really cared for. And the text in the morning, did speed up her heart a little, but maybe that was because she got startled by the notification buzz, that had to be it. She shook the thoughts about Steph off again and decided to go to the Two Whales Diner for breakfast.

 

\---

 

Victoria sat down in a booth, placed her camera on the table and checked the menu. Coffee and a waffle with syrup seemed to be a good choice, she closed the menu and placed it on the table. Just in this moment Mrs Price appeared to take her order, Victoria said what she wanted to have and looked out of the window after Joyce left. She would never dare to mention to Chloe but she and her mother really did look very similar, at least she always hated hearing that when people would say that about her and her mother. She started to wonder if Steph looked more like her mother or her father, again those thoughts about Steph. Instead of shaking those thoughts off, she let them come to her. She wasn't into girls, or was she? Or was she just confused, why did the talk and hug with Steph not leave her mind? She had been with boys before, but they never made her feel like that short interaction with Steph made her feel. Were those the feelings her friends mentioned when talking about being in love? She thought it was how she was supposed to feel, when she had been in relationships with boys, and she was confused by the mess those people made about that underwhelming feeling of _being in love._ But did she really never notice Steph until this moment? She was always impressed by her stage managing abilities and the sketches for the costumes and the stage setting were always amazing. She barely noticed her food being set down on the table as she realized that rooms always felt different with Steph there, better.

Victoria turned to eat her breakfast, but on the second bite the sound of a familiar voice caused her to almost choke on her food.

“Mind if I sit down?” Steph said gesturing to the seat in front of Victoria.

“Yeah” Victoria shook her head a little “I mean I don't mind. Take a seat” Victoria said smiling.

“Cool” Steph said, sat down and grabbed the menu.

“Nice that you're joining me, but didn't you want to visit Mikey?” Victoria asked.

“I actually was, but his weird homophobic grandma came to visit him, he can't send her away and I wasn't into confrontation. So I left.” Steph shrugged and looked around in the diner if Joyce was near to take her order.

“Do you encounter that often?” Victoria asked, if she was gay, she needed to know the stakes. She knew homophobia was still a thing in this age, but wasn't sure how bad it really was.

“Sometimes,,” Steph looked out of the window and continued “but luckily nothing too bad ever happened to me”

Joyce came, took Steph's order and left again, she had decided for a bacon omelette and a coffee. Victoria asked for a refill.

“I've been thinking” Steph said folded her hands on the table and leaned back in the booth into a more comfortable position “if you really don't like theater maybe you could stop doing on stage things and help behind the scenes” Steph smiled “it would be sad to see you leave the club”

“Mh” Victoria shoved a piece of waffle from side to side on her plate “you think? What should I do then?”

“Help with creative processes, take photos of production for the school website, if you know your way around editing programs even designing posters and flyers is something you could do,” Steph explained, she was in her element and Victoria was captured,”all those things are really important, and honestly but don't tell them I said that” Steph leaned closer and held a hand up to her mouth “if you really think about it, the actors are kinda nothing without us background people.” Steph winked and took a bite of her breakfast.

“Wow that actually sounds good.” Victoria smiled “and you think Mr Keaton will be okay with this change?”

“Of course, he wants his theater kids to be happy. _You can't do well with dread in your soul_ he always says” Steph said and chuckled.

 

As they finished their breakfast they paid, left the diner and rode the bus back to Blackwell and shared Steph's headphones in silence, Victoria noticed the whole time how Steph's leg was touching hers, sometimes moving to the beat of the songs. She couldn't help but smile.

 

\---

 

Weeks passed since Steph's and Victoria's talk in the diner, Victoria had followed Steph's advice and put her energy into the backstage work of the theater club and she was happy with her decision. But she didn't tell her parents about it, she thought it would be better if they didn't know.

It didn't even stay at that one breakfast together, it became a habit of the two, to eat breakfast at the Two Whales Diner after Steph's Saturday morning jog, during which Victoria would take photos of the landscape in the morning hours, of Steph too, she showed them to her of course, she wasn't a creep. Steph liked the ones that made her look good and had the ability to make fun of herself when photos made her look goofy, a quality that made Victoria like Steph even more, her other friends would always get mad at her if she accidentally timed the photo wrong and they looked bad on it, never seriously angry but Steph's reaction was a welcome change.

Chloe had been right with what she explained to Victoria, everything really felt better when she was with Steph and she always got that warm feeling when she looked at her too. Everything Chloe had said was true, except for the kissing, Victoria didn't know how that felt like, Victoria hadn't told Steph about her feelings yet, she just knew they were growing stronger each day. It was almost painful to be near Steph and not kiss her and tell her how much she loved her. But Victoria was afraid, afraid that Steph won't like her that, afraid that her feelings would destroy the wonderful friendship that formed.

 

\---

 

It was warm outside on that Saturday morning, Steph just finished her last round around the football field and walked up to Victoria who was sitting on the bleachers. Victoria opened the camera roll on her digital camera.

“Steph, check out the pictures I took.” she said.

Steph sat down next to Victoria, really close so she could see the pictures properly. Victoria started going through the pictures. A selfie of them both. The empty football field. Graffiti on the bench. Steph stretching. A bird on top of the bin looking for food. The sun reflecting in the school's windows. Steph running and smiling into the camera. The sun shining through the goalposts. The bleachers from the side. Steph taking a sip of water, the sun sparkling in the bottle. Victoria stopped at that photo and turned to Steph.

“I really like this one, what do you think?” she asked.

Instead of an answer Steph closed the distance between them and pressed her lips on Victoria's, her one hand on Victoria's the other on her cheek. But before Victoria could respond and return the kiss she had waited for for so long, Steph pulled back. “Oh my god, Victoria, I'm sorry, I.. Uhm..” before Steph could continue she felt a pair of lips on her. She smiled into the kiss and could feel Victoria do the same.

“You have no idea how long I've wanted this to happen” Victoria said smiling with tears in her eyes. Chloe had been right, it really did feel like flying.

“I didn't know you felt the same” Steph said and played with the camera strap “so I panicked”

“I was just so worried I'd do something wrong or I don't know” Victoria shrugged “I didn't want to mess things up, you're kinda the first girl I ever had feelings for” she admitted blushing “I actually wanted to carefully figure out if you might be into me before making a move”

“You're cute when you blush” Steph said and kissed Victoria's cheek, which caused her to turn even more red.

“Arw shut up” said rubbing her cheek as if trying to rub off the blush.

“Make me” Steph said with a smirk and a wink.

 

Victoria didn't need to be told that twice, she wrapped her arms around Steph and pulled her in for a kiss.

Their kiss was both careful and desperate hunger for each other. After kissing and smiling while pausing to catch some air for a while they moved away from each other but still touched as much as possible.

 

“How about we go get breakfast after I took a shower?” Steph asked “and make it a date instead of just hanging out”

“Mmhhh. I'd love that” Victoria responded, got up, pulled Steph up with her and stole a quick kiss.

 

\---

 

After breakfast they went back to the campus, they sat down under a tree. Steph leaned against the tree, Victoria against Steph, their hands intertwined with Steph's arm over Victoria's shoulder. Clouds had appeared on the sky but neither of them cared.

 

“Uhhm Steph?” Victoria said and turned slightly to face Steph “are we,, you know” she blushed “girlfriends now?”

“Well… Do you want to be? Because it would make me really happy” Steph said smiling and moved her arm from Victoria's shoulder to hold her hand in front of her her with both hands.

“Yes!” Victoria beamed “it would make me happy too.

 

Victoria pulled Steph into a hug and kissed her cheek, they said like that for a while.

First it was just one drop, then a few more.

 

“Oh rain” Steph stated and got up pulling Victoria with her “we should probably get inside” and with that the clouds broke and a plastering summer rain poured upon them “quick” she added.

“You know that it doesn't matter if you run or walk through the rain? You get wet the same.” Victoria laughed and kissed Steph.

 

It had stopped raining as they reached the dorm and entered Steph's room. Funnily they had never been in there before together but it was exactly like Victoria had imagined. Some movie posters, a shelf full of DnD books and figures, a few video games stacked next to a small tv stand and a console, photo of her parents on the desk next to her laptop, Steph looked a lot like her mother but had her father's eyes. The bed was a little untidy, but Victoria didn't mind.

 

“We should probably get out of those clothes” Steph said gesturing up and down at herself and Victoria.

“Uhmm I” Victoria looked nervous but before she could continue Steph interrupted her.

“Because they're wet” Steph raised up her hands in front of her chest in defense “I'm not trying, I… I Didn't mean to, you know” she stammered “We can take things slow if you want, I don't mind” Steph smiled.

Victoria let out a relieved breath, she was glad about Steph's offer to take things slow, she really liked Steph and wanted nothing more than to be close to her but she wasn't sure if she was ready to sleep with her yet. “thanks,” she stepped forward and kissed the corner of Steph's lips, which she returned with a kiss to Victoria's forehead “you're great” she stepped back “I'll go in my room change into some dry clothes and come back alright, maybe we can watch a movie?”

“Cool, great idea” Steph smiled brightly “but maybe in the evening, I still got some stuff to do”

“Sure, okay” Victoria said and gave Steph a quick kiss on the lips “see you later” and with that she left the room.

 

\---

 

Victoria came back in the evening with a DVD in her hand and knocked at Steph's dorm room door. Steph opened the door and smiled at her girlfriend.

 

“There you are” she said and motioned for Victoria to enter the room.

 

Steph had set some potato chips and sodas on the small table next to her couch. Victoria smiled at the sight of that.

 

“I brought Princess Mononoke, I hope that's okay?” Victoria asked.

“Anime, huh?” Steph smirked, I didn't know you were into that, I love that movie by the way. Pop it in and let's get it started.”

“Yeah I, I really like that stuff…just uhm,, don't tell anyone about it, please.” Victoria said and looked at her feet.

“You kiss me in front of the school without caring about if anyone can see us, but people possibly finding out you're a secret nerd is too much?” Steph laughed and shook her head.

“I,... Uhm” Victoria quickly put the DVD in the player avoid answering the question. Steph, still clearly amused by that, had sat down on the couch and placed her arm on the backrest.

“You know, being a nerd is not a bad thing , right?” Steph said as Victoria sat down next to her.

“Sure, I just usually get weird looks when I mention this stuff so I’d rather hide it” Victoria shrugged and leaned against Steph’s side “Let’s just start the movie okay?”

“You don’t have to hide that when you’re with me” Steph said and started the movie as she squeezed Victoria’s shoulder.

 

By the time the credits rolled Steph and Victoria had fallen asleep in each others arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Reader, if you reached this point I'm happy that you went through with reading this. I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
